EXTERMINATION IN ANIMAL LIFE. 335 



visited, during the first year of our residence there, by one of 

 those droughts which occur from time to time in even the most 

 favoured districts of Africa ; ... in our second year again no 

 rain fell. In the third the same extraordinary drought followed. 

 Indeed, not ten inches of water fell during these two years, and 

 the Kolobeng ran dry ; so many fish were killed that the Hyaenas 

 from the whole country round collected to the feast, and were 

 unable to finish the putrid masses. ... I put the bulb of a 

 thermometer three inches under the soil in the sun at midday, 

 and I found, the mercury to stand at 132° to 134° ; and if certain 

 kinds of beetles were placed on the surface, they ran about a few 

 seconds and expired." * A great drought also prevailed in South 

 Africa in the year 1862, subsequent to the one described by 

 Livingstone. It was very severely felt in the Lesuto, which is a 

 territory generally blessed with abundant rains at stated periods. 

 In this portion of the country, by the month of November, no 

 traces of vegetation remained, the vast grass plains becoming 

 mere sandy deserts from the excessive heat that prevailed. The 

 largest streams ceased to flow. Cattle died by thousands. The 

 mighty Orange River could be stepped across by a child, and in 

 its upper part, at least, ran dry.t Can any naturalist or sports- 

 man read this account without involuntarily estimating the loss 

 to animal and vegetal life which must have ensued, and which 

 to many endemic species must have meant extinction, and to 

 others the diminution that precedes decay and annihilation? In 

 marching across Laikipia, in eastern Central Africa, Dr. Gregory 

 found here and there around a water-hole "acres of ground white 

 with the bones of Ehinoceros and Zebra, Gazelle and Antelope, 

 Jackal and Hyaena, and among them we once observed the re- 

 mains of a Lion. All the bones of the skeleton were there, and 

 they were fresh and ungnawed. The explanation is simple. 

 The year before there had been a drought which had cleared 

 both game and people from the district. Those which did not 

 migrate crowded round the dwindling pools, and fought for the 

 last drop of water. These accumulations of bones were there- 

 fore due to a drought." | A similar observation was made by 



* ' Missionary Trav. in S. Africa,' pp. 20 and 21. 



t Cf. Croumbie Brown, ' Hydrology of S. Africa,' p. 112. 



t ' The Great Bift Valley,' p. 268. 



